Altered Fates
by Blisterdude
Summary: A retelling of Fable II. Won't be 100% faithful. Three orphaned siblings think they've found their chance to escape the streets when they're invited to meet Lucien Fairfax. Follow their quest for revenge, redemption and peace as they try make a life for themselves as well as trying to thwart a madman who seeks to sacrifice all Albion to his ambition. Rated M for later incest.
1. Childhood's End

A/N: Well here we go then. Not sure how long this will be, it's just a side-project at the moment. And for those interested, I haven't abandoned Cold War, it's still very much in the works. Anyway, on with the show!

The light holding them fizzled out. Lucien seemed surprised for a second, before drawing the deadly-looking firearm and levelling it at the children. Rose, no longer rooted to the spot by fear, stepped to the side, hauling her two frightened younger siblings behind her, flinging her arms wide in a hopeless attempt to shield them.

"Stay behind me, little sparrows." She whimpered, voice breaking.

The cold expression on Lucien's features turned her blood cold. Why was he doing this? What did he want? How had this happened so fast?

As he cocked the pistol she felt the younger twins tighten their hold on her skirt.

"This isn't what I wanted, but nothing must stand in my way." He muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"No, wait! Don't!" She pleaded, once more. "NO!" She screamed, as he pulled the trigger and the gun exploded.

…

_Earlier that day…_

"Ew." Lily squealed.

"Well…I hear that's lucky. Like finding a four-leaf clover. Although I think I'd prefer the clover." Rose grinned at her younger brother's frantic efforts to purge the foul mess from his hair.

Lily giggled as Aster let out a low groan, flinging a handful of the muck in his twin's direction.

Rose watched them begin to scuffle with a smile. Rose, Lily and Aster. Their mother had always loved flowers. She'd lived just long enough to pass that love on in the form of her siblings names, before she'd succumbed to an illness during the childbirth. That coupled with the strain of birthing the twins had been too much for the woman.

Their father had been distant, after that. Part of Rose always thought he blamed the twins for the death of his wife, in some way. One day, when she was ten, he left their small home and just…never came back. She didn't know whether he was alive or dead or…she shook her head sadly. She didn't care anymore, he lost the right to that three years ago. Her memories of him had faded, she doubted Lily and Aster could recall much of the distant man at all.

That was three years ago now, three years she'd looked after her little sparrows as best she could. Alone.

She shivered, despite herself. Rose felt she always had to appear strong for the others, but it was hard sometimes. She'd been forced to grow up fast, for them. There were still times though, when she could get a moment to herself, she'd let herself crumble, cry, rant, rave and curse at the unfairness of the world.

Winter was going to be hard this year. Their first was nearly unbearable. Lily had gotten sick, she grimaced at the thought, if a few of the guards hadn't pooled a few coins together to pay eight-year old Aster to run messages for them, they might never have afforded the medicine. She'd wanted to do the work, it was her job to protect her little brother and sister, but she hadn't wanted to leave the two of them alone either.

Last winter she'd met a family of travellers while working for one of the Old Town stall vendors. They'd insisted she bring her siblings with her to stay with them for the duration of their stay. It had been nice, not having to worry about everybody else for a little while. She'd hoped they might come back this way again this year.

They hadn't though.

She was pulled from her thoughts by an insistent tugging of her arm.

"Rosie!" Lily smiled excitedly, gesturing down around the corner to the street that led to the centre of Old Town. "Sounds like somethin' goin' on!"

Rose chided herself for forgetting they were children sometimes. Lily's smile tugged at her heart, her teeth shining in a goofy grin. Aster was standing nearby, looking at her expectantly.

The two looked so alike, in a lot of ways. Similar height, same shade of hair, same eyes…though Aster's hair was cut short and combed back, while Lily's had always been…wilder. It hung just above her shoulders, she'd tried to keep it out of her eyes, but even now her fringe covered half her face. Personality-wise, the two could not have been more different. Lily was chatty, excitable and energetic, while Aster had grown to be more sombre, reserved. He seldom spoke at all.

He hadn't even referred to her by name in…how long? She wondered if he resented her, sometimes, for knowing more about their parents, knowing them more than he or Lily did. Resenting her for the time she'd had with them when all they'd seen was their father leave them. The rare times he did talk he just talked at her, he never seemed to talk to her.

She worried about him a lot. He'd taken a lot on his shoulders, to help his sisters the year Lily had been ill. And even though she'd got better, he'd been reluctant to relinquish the responsibility that had been thrust upon him. One of the few lengthy conversations they'd had in the past few years had been him insisting she share the burdens on her with him.

Not that she'd agreed, out of principle. But out of his own growing moral code, Aster had taken it upon himself to find work, beg and forage anyway. She'd been grateful, despite the constant gnawing guilt that she'd failed them somehow. There was no-one she could talk to.

One of the travellers had given her a diary. She'd been writing in it on and off for the past year. It was easier pouring her feelings into that than breaking down every time she had a minute to herself. Rose made sure to keep it hidden from the twins, though. She'd hate for them to know what she was thinking every day.

She put on a smile.

"Come on then." She took Lily's hand. "Let's go see. Coming little sparrow?" She looked over at Aster.

"He'll catch up." Lily chimed in, tugging her arm again. "He doesn't like leaving his sword behind."

Rose regarded him curiously. Aster only nodded in agreement with Lily's words.

It was true he'd become attached to the thing. He'd spent weeks foraging for a strong enough length of wood to serve as the weapon, even going to far as to fix a guard to it, giving it a crude hilt. He had become surprisingly adept with the thing, she was ashamed to admit he could probably outfight his older sister these days.

Sure, she could handle herself in a scrap, and there were times he needed her to pull him out of a scrap, but more often than not Aster would win any scuffles he found himself in.

Lily was no slack either. Not as physically adept as her twin, she made up for it by becoming something of an engineer. She'd designed a small pistol that fired solid stone pellets. It wouldn't kill, but they bloody hurt.

Aster watched Rose lead Lily away, still with the same expression of…almost suspicion. He swallowed, nervously, it wasn't entirely unwarranted.

He dashed back to the ramshackle collection of boards and old debris that was their only home in the world. Ignoring the guilt squirming in his chest, he raised the boards that Rose thought kept her diary hidden from their prying eyes.

Lily had been the one to discover their older sister had been keeping one, when she woke up late one night, after Rose had soothed them to sleep telling one of her stories. Lily told him Rose had been sobbing quietly, hunched over the book, scrawling away until she'd crawled onto the makeshift bed they slept in beside them, while the younger girl pretended to be asleep.

Since then, they'd resolved to help their older sister out in any way they could and one or the other of them would check the diary periodically, to see if there were any clues as to what Rose's current worries were.

He flicked through the beaten tome, to the most recent pages, skimming through the last few passages. A smile crept onto his lips as he read her words,

_"I managed to find a nice piece of charcoal this morning, so I can finally start writing again. I still haven't finished putting down the story about the warrior girl who fights snow monsters. My little sparrows always like listening to that one - sends them right to sleep!"_

He read a little further,

_"It's not so easy for me. Winter is getting colder and soon our shelter won't be anywhere near enough. We'll freeze to death if we don't find something better."_

So that was it, he thought, grim. She normally hid her fears, for their benefit, but it was beginning to tell lately.

_"If only we could find some secret passage into the castle... We're small enough that no one would notice us. We'd be like ghosts, or like mice, hiding in the walls. We'd tip-toe out when everyone goes to bed and raid the larder. I bet they have so much food in there, they'd never even notice.''_

He felt the guilt stirring inside him again. Not that he hadn't outright breached his sister's privacy already, but these were her innermost thoughts, her dreams. She'd been talking about the castle again earlier. Rose didn't often talk about her own dreams anymore. He buried his shame and finished reading.

_"Bah, day-dreaming isn't going to get us anywhere. You have to think of something, Rose. You're the big sister, remember?"_

Aster was sure she would, even if his sister had doubts. She'd never let them down yet. Maybe he'd tell her that later.

He glanced around, furtively, despite knowing his sisters were gone, and placed the diary back exactly as he'd found it. Aster got to his feet, retrieving his wooden sword and hurried after his sisters, resolving to tell Lily about it when he got the chance.

As he came to the corner, he saw the two of them, talking with…_Arfur._ Aster scowled, hearing the tail end of the conversation.

"We'll never be that hungry." Rose stated, firmly, glaring at the shabby man.

His eyes shifted to the left as he noticed something, and she jumped a little as Aster appeared at her side, glaring defiantly at Arfur.

She idly wondered if her younger siblings had any conception of what Arfur had, more than once, proposed to her. She doubted it, but…she couldn't be sure. An upbringing in Old Town was…educational.

Lily watched Aster move his hand slowly to his sword.

The truth was, they knew exactly what Arfur wanted from Rose, from one of their past forays into their sister's diary. It had become a sore spot for Aster. He didn't doubt Rose's intentions, but one day, if he or Lily were hungry enough, cold enough, sick enough…

Out of the corner of his eye, he felt Lily's stare, pleading him not to do anything.

"You'll be back." Arfur scoffed, stalking off.

Rose wiped the grim expression from her face, putting on a smile for the two.

'We were wondering when you were gonna catch up."

Aster shrugged apologetically.

Rose led them toward the source of the excitement. A crowd had gathered around a brightly coloured caravan.

"It's just some merchant." Rose mumbled.

Lily wasn't deterred, scurrying ahead to hear what the trader was theatrically and animatedly talking about.

"Old Kingdom artifacts? Load of old rubbish, more like." Rose muttered again.

Aster glanced at the older girl sadly.

"Look!" Lily pointed, excitedly.

The trader, Murgo, was holding high what looked like little more than an old music box.

"This piece of Albion's rich history is said to contain old powers! The legends say it has the power to bestow a single wish, a the power to grant any desire, achieve any dream! For the price of only five gold pieces, it can be yours!"

"…rubbish." Rose repeated.

"We live in grim times indeed, if even the young are too world-weary to believe in magic." A quiet voice spoke. It sounded cracked, old, tired. "Most children your age would believe eagerly."

They all turned to the source of the voice, seeing an old woman, clad in red and white robes, adorned with assorted jewellery. Her eyes were an unsettling shade of grey, white almost.

"Look." Rose began, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can see your eyes are bad, but I'm telling you, that music box is rubbish."

The old woman turned to the wildly gesticulating Murgo.

"That's what the seller thinks. He has no idea what he's stumbled upon." She turned back to Rose. "But you have an inkling, don't you? Some part of you wants to believe it's magic."

The old crone turned to leave.

"What…you…you think it really could be?" Rose was surprised at herself even as she asked the question.

Aster and Lily looked from the old woman, to Rose, bewildered at their siblings sudden change in demeanour.

"For only five gold, you could have your answer."

"For only five gold, we wouldn't be hungry for a week." She retorted, coldly.

The old woman shifted her weight from one foot to the other, somewhere beneath the folds of her robe.

"And at the end of that week, you and your little sparrows would be no closer to your dream." She nodded toward the grand structure that dominated Bowerstone. "No closer to living in that castle."

Rose blushed as the old woman slowly walked back the way they'd come. She fidgeted uncomfortably. It was true that she dreamed of it, but it sounded so…childish.

She felt Lily's hand slide into hers.

They all turned back to the merchant, now talking energetically about some other bauble.

"What if it is real? I bet we could get five gold pieces, this could be our way out of here." The words left her lips of their own accord, she felt strangely…light. "What've we got to lose, little sparrows?" She laughed, bitterly.

"Lunch?" Lily smiled up at her. Even Aster let out a stifled chuckle.

Rose knelt down in front of them.

"I won't decide this for you. I reckon we could get the gold, but…" She looked away, awkwardly.

"Do it." Aster stated, firmly.

The two girls looked at him, surprised at his words before Lily recovered, nodding in agreement.

"Come on then." She tried to restrain her smile. The crowd had started to filter away, losing interest. Across the small courtyard she saw the guard, Derek. "I know where we can start."

"Hallo kids!" Derek greeted them cheerfully. "You did me a good turn the other week, little fella."

"Did he…?" Rose drawled, turning to Aster, who rubbed the back of his head while looking away, awkwardly.

"I don't suppose you're up for a bit of legwork?" Derek interjected, much to Aster's relief.

"If there's a bit of gold in it." Rose replied.

Now Derek looked awkward.

"I've…errr…misplaced some extremely important arrest warrants. I was taking them to the barracks when a gust of wind blew by and…I sort of lost them all down that alley over there. There's a gold piece for you if you can find 'em all."

"Important, are they?" Lily cut in, suggestively.

"…quite." Derek quirked an eyebrow at the girl.

"Important enough for, say..." Rose picked up on her sisters intent. "…two gold pieces?"

Derek made a show of thinking about it, then grinned and held out a hand. Rose took it in a firm shake.

"Done."

The trio made their way toward the alley he'd indicated.

"Sounds like easy money, this. Maybe we'll even have some extra!" Rose chimed excitedly.

Lily looked to Aster, who looked back at her with a small smile.

Moments later, they came upon a strange looking little man fiddling with a box on a tripod. He looked up as they approached, eyes widening in glee.

"Hello, little children. Would you care to stand in as models for Barnum's marvelacious pictographical device?"

"Your…what?" Rose asked, tilting her head, bewildered.

"Why is he talking like that?" Lily whispered, causing Aster to develop a case of false coughing.

"I'm sorry, little ones, if the extremificate prosaitude of my vocabularium is currently beyond your ken. I've taken great pains to widen the vistas of my scopulous knowledge!" He smiled, proudly.

"…right." Rose managed, grinning weakly. "Anyway, you were saying?"

"This…" He rested a hand on the box. "Will capturify your image instantly, in a flash, as it were."

"We don't really have the time…"

"I'll give you a gold piece." He offered.

She could feel Lily looking up at her, intrigued, and was about to reply when she felt Aster shove the two of them forward onto the makeshift set Barnum had built.

"Free money." They heard him mutter, quietly.

Rose grinned.

"I suppose this could be kind of fun." She laughed, letting him push her along.

"Most excellatastic!" He clapped his hands together, standing behind the box. They saw him aim the glass lens at them. "Strike a pose little ones, something dynamanic, exubellescent!"

They shared a collective look.

Lily and Aster stood on either side of her. Aster drew his sword, levelling it before him, clutching it in both hands. Lily stood tall, confident, holding her small gun level with her head, her other hand on her hip. Rose stood sideways, turning her head towards the lens and crossing her arms.

"Okay, hold it…" Barnum mumbled.

Rose wasn't sure what they were waiting for, when the box suddenly exploded in a flash, followed by a billowing cloud of smoke.

"What the f-" She stopped herself, hands clamped over her eyes, half-blinded. She stumbled backward, grateful as Aster placed a hand on her back, steadying her.

"I think I blinked." Lily hissed, quietly.

Aster chuckled.

As her vision returned, Rose saw Barnum step toward them, smiling.

"Thank you, children." She felt him press a gold coin into her hand. "That was brillifamazing!"

"You mean that was _supposed_ to happen?" She gaped.

Barnum had already turned back to the machine, though, fiddling with it again.

"When the picture devellifies in only three months, the gold will be rolling in!" He chattered to himself, excitedly.

"Three months?!" Lily whined, as Rose led her siblings away.

"What a con." Rose nodded.

"Free gold." Aster muttered quietly, again.

"Hey!"

Rose turned to Lily, who was waving a piece of paper.

"Is that one of the warrants?" Rose took it from her, scanning it.

"_Ronnie "Rhymes  
With" Parsonist  
Wanted for: 19 counts of  
Setting Fire to Public Property  
or an Officer of the Peace_."

"Copper had it coming." Aster smirked.

"You're chatty today." Rose grinned. He only shrugged in response.

Further ahead, there was a commotion. Lily hurried ahead, with Rose and Aster trying to keep up with her.

A crowd of kids had gathered around the local tough, Rex, who was beating a dog.

"Son of a…" Rose stormed ahead, leaving the twins in her wake. "What the hell d'you think you're doin'?"

Rex looked up as she approached, only mildly interested. He gave the dog another kick.

Rose shoved him backward, roughly.

"Pick on someone your own damn size!" She yelled.

Aster and Lily shared a look, Rose could be terrifying when she wanted to be, she-

Rex suddenly jumped forward, catching her by surprise, he rammed his head into hers. Rose crumpled to the ground.

They froze. Aster felt his blood boil and his hands shake. He'd drawn his sword before he even realised it.

"Wait-" Lily tried.

"Bastard!" Aster roared, running at the older boy.

Rex turned in time to receive a blow from Aster's wooden sword into his stomach. He leaned forward, clutching his belly, only to feel a sharp crack on the back of his head as Aster brought the sword straight down.

Aster raised the sword to deliver another blow, seeing too late Rex wasn't finished. The older boy rammed his elbow outward, into Asters chest, sending him flying backward. As he tried to get up, Rex was suddenly on him, punching him in the face and torso repeatedly.

"Hey y'ugly sod!"

Rex spun round to see Lily with her makeshift pistol levelled at his head. He sneered, disregarding the toy. Lily grinned and pulled the trigger.

The rock-hard pellet struck him in the forehead sharply.

"Argh." He cursed, clutching his head.

Aster seized the chance, ramming the wooden sword upward into the bully's chin. Rex tumbled to the side. He brought the sword down onto his stomach again, winding him. As Aster struggled to his feet, Lily gave Rex a sharp kick in the side, dissuading him from trying to get up again.

"Do yourself a favour, stay down." She smirked. "You alright?" She looked to Aster, who managed a nod.

They heard Rose groan from behind them. Aster held out a hand, which she fumbled for and took, letting him help her to her feet.

"I coulda' taken 'im." She managed, through gritted teeth, as she regarded the fallen form of Rex. "Not bad though, little sparrows."

She saw Lily grin confidently, then saw properly Aster's beaten state. His face was cut, bruised, his arms and legs covered in little cuts and scrapes, she suspected there were more bruises under his tattered shirt. She swallowed, guiltily.

There was a low whine behind them. The dog was looking up at them, wagging its tail happily.

"'ullo little fella." Lily chirped. The dog licked her hand, excitedly. "He likes us!"

Rose smiled sadly as her siblings patted the dog. They looked up at her hopefully.

"We can't keep him." She said, slowly.

"But-"Lily began.

She turned to her sister, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"My responsibility is to care for the two of you, keep the two of you fed." Rose turned away. "It's hard enough to do that, most days…" She whispered to herself, thinking of Aster's current state.

The dog whined sadly.

"Sorry little fella." She knelt down, rubbing the dog's head. "We can't feed you. So…go on, go."

The dog padded away, slowly.

They continued in silence, for a while after that. Lily was probably sour about letting the dog go. Rose was contemplating the fact her little brother had taken a pounding for her and Aster…well, she never knew what Aster was thinking anymore.

Lily jogged ahead suddenly, pointing out another warrant.

"You okay?" Aster asked, out of the blue.

She blinked, caught by surprise.

"'course I am, sparrow." She smiled down at her brooding brother.

"Not your fault, sis."

She grimaced, running a hand softly down a bruise forming on his cheek.

"Yeah it is."

"Not." He insisted, slipping his hand into hers. He was about to continue when Lily came back, thrusting the warrant into Rose's hands.

She smiled sadly as her brother pulled back again, then began to read from the paper as they walked on.

_"Andrew "The Stammer" M-M-Miller  
Wanted for: Assault With a  
Firearm; Stealing Glances at a  
Firearm; Whispering Sweet  
Nothings to a Firearm;  
Proposal of Marriage to a  
Firearm; Hurling a Firearm into  
a Public Waterway in Anger.  
Also one count of Public  
Intoxication."_

"He likes his guns, doesn't he?" Lily giggled.

"Promise me you won't grow up like that, little sparrow." Rose ruffled her hair, affectionately.

"Weeell…" She smiled.

Ahead of them, a couple were arguing in the street.

"Jus' one more, one more'n I'll quit fer good." The man slurred.

They could see he was pretty obviously swaying. A light breeze would be enough to knock him over.

"You don't need it! You'd been clean for a week and now-"

"Hey, you there, kids! Want t' make some money?"

"Don't you dare ask-"

"Money?" Lily piped up.

"Bugger of a tramp, Magpie, stole me damn bottle a'wine. Steal it back f' me and I'll give y' some gold."

"How much?" Rose crossed her arms.

"Kids, don't you-"

"One gold piece."

Aster held up three fingers.

"Three?!" The woman gaped, Pete, you could just buy another bottle!"

"It's th' principle, Betty!" He yelled. "Two." He turned back to Aster.

Aster stuck out a hand, the man reached out but the woman slapped it away.

"I'll give you two gold pieces to bring it to me."

"Betty." The man slurred.

"Bring it to me, does he look like he needs another bloody drink?" She elbowed her companion.

Rose pulled her siblings away, mumbling a vague acknowledgement.

"We should give it to the woman." Lily ventured. "She's trying to help him."

Rose looked to Aster, who only shrugged.

She sighed. It wasn't that he didn't care, she knew that. She kept telling herself that it was just the way they had to live. Rose would have to be his moral compass then, not that her own could always find north, she thought bitterly.

"Okay, you two wait here, I'll be right back." Rose ordered as they stopped at the mouth of Magpie's little alley.

"I'm quieter'n you two." Lily objected. "You two wait here. Hold this." She thrust her pistol into Rose's hands.

"Lily!" She hissed, reaching out for the girl as her little sister crept slowly between all the piles of debris.

"Shhh." Aster insisted, pulling her back by her waist, pressing a hand over her mouth gently.

Magpie was sprawled across the floor, hugging a pile of glass bottles. Empty ones. He stirred slightly, Lily froze in place.

"D'mn Hobbles, shteel'n m' boooooooze…" The mumbling slid into a low, rumbling snore.

Rose and Aster slowly crept back to the mouth of the alley as Lily made her way past the sleeping form. She quickly perused the nearest pile, sighing with relief as she found the bottle.

Rose beckoned her frantically as Magpie shifted again. Lily sidled along the wall, trying to keep as far away from the drunk as she could. She was so busy watching the snoring man she noticed too late the loose bottles by her foot.

She knocked it into a pile of other bottles with a series of what felt like deafening clinks and clanks.

"Whhaaaarrzzaat?" Magpie hauled himself upright. "Lil' thiefin' beggars!" He roared, on seeing Lily.

"Lily!" Rose cried as the burly drunk stumbled to his feet. As he reached out for her sister she stepped forward, reaching out with her own hand. A curious feeling came over her, as of something rising within her, bubbling over. It was barely noticeable at all, but she felt it run through her body and into her hand.

"C'merrraaarrgghh!" Magpie seemed to trip, rather oddly, on his own feet and tumble backward.

She blinked, then shook away the thought.

"Run!" She yelled, grabbing her sister's hand and towing her behind. Aster tailed after her.

They stopped at what she deemed a safe distance. The man was probably too drunk to bother chasing them anyway. She pulled Lily in front of her, looking her in the eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah." Lily waved it off, grinning. "Sod couldn' even stand upright." She laughed.

"…yeah." Rose agreed, surprised at the doubt she was feeling. "Yeah." She squeezed her sisters shoulder, reassuringly. She tried to ignore Aster's critical expression, she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head.

"Doesn't matter, I got the bottle, told'y' I could!" She waved the bottle victoriously.

Rose took it from her gently, after getting the mental image of the hard-won booze smashing into a million pieces on the cobbled street. Aster and Lily tailed behind her as they approached the still-bickering couple.

"Got the bottle." She announced. She immediately thrust it into the hands of the woman, cutting short Pete's slurred objections.

"Thank you, children." Betty smiled sincerely, pressing two gold pieces into her hands. She looked at the bottle. "Oh, what's this?" She pulled out a somewhat damp sheet of paper.

"Can I have that?" Rose pointed at it.

Betty nodded, handing it to her.

"Thanks, missus."

"You'll thank me for this, Pete."

"I'd thank y' fer the bottle."

They left the two bickering again.

"Bottle belonged to the man, should've let 'im make his own choice."

They both turned to Aster. Rose felt her stomach twist into knots. When had he gotten so…like this?

"She wanted t' help him, he was hurting himself." Lily retorted.

He looked away.

"Can't force somebody to change."

"No." Rose stated firmly. "But we helped her give'm a choice. Everybody deserves one."

He looked up at her, blankly. She matched his stare.

"Let's see th' warrant." Lily insisted, feeling the tension between her siblings.

Rose reluctantly pulled her gaze from her brother, unrolling the damp paper.

_'' Allan "Alliteration" Altamont  
Wanted for: Breaking and  
Entering; Breaking and  
Smashing; Breaking and  
Repeatedly Stomping Upon;  
Breaking, Gluing Back  
Together, and Trying to Pass  
Off as Not Ever Having Been  
Broken in the First Place."_

"I wonder if he's housebroken?" Lily chirped.

"Reminds me of the time you broke that vase, Lily." Rose giggled. "Remember that?" She turned to Aster, only to find him gone. She looked around quickly, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw him talking to a man outside a warehouse across the road.

The two strolled over, seeing Aster raising three fingers. Clearly he was bargaining again. She was surprised to see the man nod. Clearly he was desperate. He looked up as he saw the girls approach.

"Oh, are these your friends? You'll need all the help you can get to deal with those…beetle menaces!" He yelled.

"Beetles?" Lily smirked, stifling a laugh.

"Hordes of them! They'll…damage my stock!"

"…right, sure." Rose drawled. "C'mon then." They entered the warehouse.

As soon as they entered, they were met with groups of scurrying vermin. Aster was on them immediately, crushing them with his wooden sword. Lily set about dealing with a few of her own. The small beetles had little resistance to the sharp shots of her pistol. Rose felt at a bit of a loose end as she watched her siblings dispatch the scuttling pests with ease.

"Hey, stop that!" A voice hissed from an open window. "Oh, it's you."

The kids paused mid-slaughter.

"What do you want, Arfur." Rose spat, crossing her arms.

"From you, nothin'. Not now anyway." He smirked. "Those two though. Smash up those crates and there's five gold pieces in it for y'. My boss, Nicky "The Nickname" Chalmers, wants this guy outta business."

"We won't do a damn thing f-"

"Wasn't talkin' t' you." Arfur growled.

Aster glared at the man, feeling his blood boil. He wasn't sure what he was disgusted at more, the criminal's treatment of his sister or…the fact that he was considering the offer because of the money. He was still stinging a little from Rose's earlier words about the couple with the bottle.

"Don't talk t' my sister like that!" Lily yelled.

Arfur rolled his eyes, muttering something about women.

"You then, " He fixed Aster a stare. "Five gold pieces. Y'seem a smart kid, it's enough t' take care a' these sisters o' yours, even if they don't know what's good for 'em."

He could feel them watching him. Lily never seemed to doubt him, but Rose… He looked at her. There was…doubt in her eyes. He was surprised by how much that hurt.

"No." He stated, not breaking the gaze.

In one fluid movement, he brought the wooden sword straight down, splitting open one of the beetles that got too near. Arfur glared.

"You'll regret this." He growled, through gritted teeth, then stalked away.

There was the barest flicker of a smile on Rose's lips as Aster glanced at her briefly, before turning to deal with another beetle.

"Are you done in here?" The owner ventured in, cautiously.

"Just about!" Lily called, shooting the last crawling menace.

"Excellent work, excellent! That'll put a dent in the vicious beasts population for a while! Here you go, for a job well done." He dropped three coins into Aster's open palm.

The trio were ushered out, feeling rather pleased with themselves.

"Here." Aster held out the coins to Rose, who took them.

"You told that bugger where't get off!" Lily shoved him playfully.

He managed a weak smile as he looked away. As he did, his eye was caught by a flash of white. He stooped down, picking up another warrant.

"Hey, four down. Let's have a look." Rose took it from him.

_"Leroy "Unremarkable" Stone  
Known aliases: Leroy Ten-  
Fingers, Leroy One-Nose,  
Leroy Two-Eyes, Leroy Has-  
Hair, Leroy Is-Alive.  
Wanted for: Suspicious Though  
Otherwise Unremarkable  
Behaviour"_

"How…unremarkable?" Rose giggled.

"Sounds like a real threat." Aster muttered.

"What now? We've got enough for the music box." Lily asked.

"I suppose we head back." Rose shrugged.

As they were wandering back, a bark caught their attention.

"Hey, that's the dog from earlier." Lily ran up to it, stroking its jaw as it sat calmly, as if it had been waiting. It had something in its mouth, so she removed it. "Look, it brought us the last warrant!"

"Seriously?" Rose petted it, as Lily unrolled the warrant. "Good boy!"

Aster peered over Lily's shoulder as she read.

_"Nicky "The  
Nickname" Chalmers  
Known Aliases: Nicky "The  
Nickname" Chalmers (no  
relation).  
Wanted For: Assault With a  
Deadly Weapon; Assault With a  
Potentially Deadly Weapon;  
Assault With a Weapon We  
Can't Believe Could Possibly Be  
Deadly but Unfortunately Was.  
Wanted Dead or Mortally  
Wounded."_

They all looked at each other in silence.

"That's the guy that…" Lily began.

"Arfur's boss." Aster finished, grim. What had he done, what good was doing the "right thing" if it put your only family in danger?

"It doesn't matter." Rose said as calmly as she could. "That's why we're takin' these to Derek, he's gonna arrest these guys."

Lily seemed placated, but Aster still looked dubious.

The dog barked again.

"I'm sorry little fella, we still can't look after you."

"But Rose, he came back, he even brought us the warrant." Lily argued.

"I need to look after the two of you." She rubbed the dog's head sadly, shooing it again.

"Come on." Aster walked ahead.

They turned the last corner onto the alley that fed onto the small Old Town square, surprised to find somebody waiting for them. Arfur stood in the middle of the road, arms crossed, looking impatient.

"Leave us the hell alone." Rose growled, annoyed at how much she'd seen him today.

"Wish I could, luv, but it's come t' my attention you've got somethin' I need."

"I told you, I'm not-"

"Not that." He waved a hand, dismissively. "The warrants. Hand 'em over."

"No bargaining this time?" Lily asked.

"Gold obviously ain't doin' it, so yeah. This time y'hand 'em over, or else." The threat wasn't lost on them as he advanced on them slowly.

Rose put herself between Arfur and her siblings.

"Stay behind me, little sparrows." She whispered. "If I say run, you run."

"Don't make this 'arder than it needs t' be." Arfur flexed his fingers.

She couldn't take on a grown man, but she could slow him down.

He took another step toward her, hand outstretched, expecting the warrants. Rose thought fast.

She grabbed his arm, yanking it toward her. He stumbled forward, straight into her fist.

"Run!" She hollered, ramming her knee into his groin. She watched her two siblings duck past, heart in her mouth as she saw Arfur recover immediately. His hand was around her throat in seconds, lifting her from the ground.

She struggled for breath as his fingers closed tightly.

"Stupid bitch." He muttered.

Her vision blurred, she nearly didn't see Lily standing behind him, raising her pistol.

"Argh!" Arfur cried as the stone pellet struck the back of his head sharply. He flung her aside, moving to face the new threat. She rubbed her sore throat with one hand, trying to pull herself to her feet with the other.

Arfur hadn't seen Aster either. He collided with the stunned man, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Aster was on his feet in seconds, striking the downed man's stomach repeatedly with his wooden sword. Arfur curled up under the relentless blows.

"Come on." Lily was at her side, pulling an arm around her shoulders helping her to her feet. "Aster!" She called to her twin.

Rose couldn't tear her eyes from her brother. She'd never seen him so…angry.

As they limped away, Aster cast a last glance at the Arfur's beaten form.

"Touch her again and I'll fucking kill you." He muttered, a little disgusted at how much he relished the look of real fear in the man's eyes.

He gave the man a last kick in the ribs, before following his sisters. As they neared the corner, Derek appeared, flanked by two more guards.

"We heard a commotion, is everybody…" He trailed off at the sight of the bruised, limping Rose, and the still beaten and now slightly-blood-spattered Aster.

"Bloody hell." One of the guards mumbled.

"What've you kids been doing?" Derek blurted. He looked past them, seeing Arfur half-conscious on the ground. He put two-and-two together. He gestured at the criminal, and his two men set off to arrest him.

"Got your warrants." Rose winced at the soreness of her throat, she handed them over.

Derek regarded the kids with sympathy.

"Look, you've done a real good thing here, and I can see it's put you through some, so…" He counted out several coins from his pocket. "Here, five gold pieces. It might not seem like much now, but you've made a real difference to Old Town."

Rose accepted the gold, stashing it in her pocket with the rest.

"Thanks Derek."

He nodded, walking past them to join the other guards.

"Haven't done too bad today, little sparrows." She managed a smile. "Even got a little extra. It's alright Lily, I can walk now." She stood upright, ignoring the aches.

They began the walk to the traders caravan, stopping only to watch a dopey looking man shouting bits of poetry to a woman on the balcony above.

"We can get the box." Aster insisted.

"…I'm curious." Lily giggled, running over to the bizarre couple.

"Curiousity killed the-"

"Lily's a curious balverine." Rose grinned, following her.

"Oh, Belinda! My love for you is like…like, a serene pond, in the spring, with…with…ducks on it!"

"Oh, Monty…"

"And, and, and….my passion is as fiery as…er…as the hottest forge, forging the finest in deadly weaponry…um…"

"Oh, Monty…"

"Oh…yuck." Rose stuck out her tongue. Lily laughed.

"Some adults just turn into kids." Aster grumbled.

"It's love…sort of." Rose chuckled.

A shrill woman appeared next to Belinda, yelling angrily. She dumped a bucket of…something unpleasant down on them. Rose pulled her siblings to one side. Monty barely escaped a drowning.

"Havin' trouble, mister?" Rose asked the man. "Her mum don't seem t' think much o' you."

"Indeed she doesn't, little one. I and, sweetest Belinda," He sighed. "…we want to run away together, but I can't get my love not to her, and her mother is watching more closely now."

"Maybe we c'n 'elp?"

He regarded the trio curiously. The children were dirty, scruffy, bruised, cut, ragged, but they looked earnest. Well, the girls did. Well, the older one who wasn't trying not to laugh did.

"If you can get this letter to her, I'll give you a gold piece."

Rose waved down Asters hand as she saw him ready to start bargaining again. He scowled.

"Leave it to us." Rose grinned.

"I'll wait."

She turned to Aster, he tried to ignore the flash of disappointment on her features.

"Okay then, coming Lily?"

Her sister nodded. They approached the door.

"What are we doin'?" Lily hissed.

"If you c'n keep the old bat busy, I'll get the letter upstairs." She pulled the letter out of the envelope, then handed the envelope to Lily. "You hold that so it looks like you've got somethin'." She folded the letter and stuffed it down her shirt.

Lily knocked on the door. The old woman opened it, suspiciously.

"Letter." Lily waved the envelope.

The woman nodded reluctantly, Lily and Rose followed her in. While the woman was busy digging around for some gold, Lily waved Rose upstairs frantically. She crept up the stairs quickly, looking for Belinda. The woman was still lounging around, sighing sadly.

If that was being in love for you, Rose wasn't in any hurry to get there.

"Hey lady, your fella downstairs gave me this." Rose took out the note, offering it to Belinda.

The woman began to read, letting out little sighs and "Ohhh"s here and there. It made Rose want to throw up a little.

"Oh Monty, he wants me to run away with him!" She breathed, giddily.

"I don't want to rush you or anything, but the old bag downstairs is probably-"

"You lying little blighter!" A voice shrieked.

There was the sound of somebody running out the front door as fast as their legs could carry them. At least Lily was out, Rose thought, herself, on the other hand…

"Time to go." She turned to Belinda, grabbing her by the hand. She dragged her to the balcony.

"What are you-yyeeaaaaaiiiee!" Belinda screeched as Rose heaved her over the side without warning. She leaned over the side in time to see Monty leap into a sort of…action and catch her. With his head. Not entirely useless, then.

"You!" A voice bellowed from behind her.

She spun to see the old woman reach the top of the stairs. She gulped, grabbing hold of the railing.

"Aster!" She yelled, launching herself over the side.

Rose shut her eyes. The sensation of falling was a strange, and brief one, but it felt longer. There was a wave of fear that passed, she trusted her brother to be there. As her mind caught up with events she crashed into another body with a _whump_.

"…nnrrrgghhh…" Aster groaned. "Could've used more warnin'."

She opened her eyes, finding herself in her brothers arms.

"Nice catch." She smiled broadly. Idly she wondered when he'd gotten that strong.

He managed a grin, puzzled by the curious feeling buzzing through him as he held her.

"You can…let me down." She waved a hand in front of his eyes.

She ruffled his hair as he let her down.

"Hellions!" The old woman shook her fist at the group.

"Thank you, little ones!" Monty gushed, flipping a coin into Lily's hands. "Come Belinda!"

They watched the couple disappear down the street.

"Well, little sparrows," Rose grinned, catching the coin as Lily tossed it to her. ", looks like we did it."

"If we hurry we c'n still get the box."

"If we hurry we c'n get somethin' to eat too." Aster stated the forgotten obvious.

"Well…" Rose murmured, in thought. The afternoon was drawing to a close and the food stalls would be shutting up soon.

He watched her mental debate with sympathy. Remembering what he'd gleaned from her diary earlier, he sighed.

"I'll go." He held out his hand. "I'll catch up with you two in a bit."

Rose smiled softly, dropping two coins in his hand. He felt his insides tingle with the unfamiliar warmth again.

She watched him slowly wander off in the direction of the stalls, perplexed. He could be so…unfamiliar sometimes. It made her sad. Rose let Lily lead her to Murgo's caravan.

The large man was currently putting away his merchandise, closing up for the night.

"Hello there little ones!" The burly man leant down as they approached. He smiled broadly. "And what can this humble purveyor of ancient antiquities do for a couple of such lovely, little ladies?"

"We…uhhh…" Rose stammered, suddenly feeling very foolish. "We wanted the ummm…"

"The music box!" Lily chirped, coming to her sisters' rescue.

"A fine choice indeed, little ladies, and for just five gold pieces, it is yours." He produced the little box, holding it before them. Rose handed over the gold. "Thank you very much, I bid the two of you a very good evening." He tipped his hat and turned back to his work.

Rose and Lily began the slow walk back to their…home…for lack of a better word. She looked down at the object in her hands. It was such a small thing little tin box. It was covered in a series of strange designs, some of them seemed strangely…why did she feel like she'd seen them before? There was little black key that turned when she fiddled with it and the whole thing was just…weathered and scratched. She didn't doubt Murgo's claim that it was old and she didn't know a lot about the Old Kingdom, but it couldn't be that old.

She began to feel foolish. Five gold she'd spent on it. They could have eaten for nearly a week and it was just a music box and…and yet…

"What's up?" Lily asked, peering at her curiously.

Rose only shrugged, turning the box over in her hands. It was just some kind of light metal and yet…there was something about it, it was oddly…heavy. She could feel it.

"One wish, huh?" She mumbled, half to herself.

"That's what the old bag said. What are you gonna wish for?"

They stopped as they reached the tumbled down shack. Rose placed the music box on an old crate near the railing. Bowerstone castle loomed in the distance, illuminated by the evening winter sun.

"You and Aster really should-"

"Don't start with that sis, it's yours." Lily elbowed her in the ribs jokingly.

"Maybe we should wait anyway, maybe…"

"Here 'e is now."

They turned to see their brother jog over with a bag of food slung over his shoulder.

"What would…um…what would you…?" Rose left the question hanging.

Aster deposited the bag by the shack, he turned back to her with a look of puzzlement.

"She's tryin' t' fob her wish off on us, brother." Lily giggled, turning back to Rose. "We trust you, ain't that right Aster?"

He nodded.

"…right." Rose looked at the box, trying to hide how much the two had moved her. "Well then."

She stared at it hard. What _did _she want? She thought back over her wants, needs, dreams. She wanted money, food, safety, a real home. She dreamed about the castle, about wealth and happiness. But did _she _want all that, or did she want it for her f_amily?_

The box suddenly began glowing, a pale blue light shone out the cracks and scrapes in it. It began to spin, slowly rising a ways into the air and increasing in speed, emitting a strange, hollow sound like wind through an empty street. A strange tune began to chime, matching the pace of the spinning until it warped, unnervingly. There was a final, brilliant explosion of light causing them all to shield their eyes and when it faded, the box, the light and the sound had all vanished.

"What…just…" Lily gaped.

"It's gone." Rose blurted, feeling daft for stating the obvious. "Why is it gone?"

"Maybe we did somethin' wrong?"

"We didn't do anything!"

"We must have done somethin'!"

"It's not like there were instructions!"

Aster watched his sisters argue back and forth before Lily eventually shrugged and wandered into the shack to eat. Rose lingered, looking at the now vacant spot on top of the crate as if expecting…something, anything. The box had clearly been something, music boxes didn't just start floating and disappear in strange lights. But, why didn't anything else happen? She hadn't expected much but…no, that wasn't true. The well of disappointment in her chest told her that she had expected something. She felt so foolish.

"I'm sorry it didn't work."

She snapped from her musing to look at Aster. She hadn't even realised he was still there.

"It doesn't matter." She replied, not really believing it.

Aster didn't believe her either. He fumbled clumsily at her hand until she took his in hers. He racked his brains for something to say to cheer her up. He wasn't good with words, and he never knew what to say to his older sister sometimes.

"…uh…Rose…"

He felt her hand tense. His mind went into overdrive, had he said the wrong thing? He hadn't even said anything yet!

"You said my name." It wasn't a question.

"…um…?" He shrugged, feeling a mixture of guilt and shame.

Rose chuckled. It was easy to forget they were all just kids sometimes.

"Thanks, little sparrow." She yawned. "Want something to eat? Before that balverine we call a sister gets through everything?"

He nodded, letting her lead him to the shack.

What neither of them expected was to see Lily sitting next to the dog they'd met earlier that day, sharing some scraps.

"Look who found their way home." She grinned widely.

Rose sighed, shaking her head. She hadn't the heart to turn down either Lily or the dog a third time.

"Welcome to the family then."

…

Rose groaned as she awoke to the sound of barking.

"Now, now er…boy. Down boy, down!"

She knew that voice, she thought, heaving herself upright. Lily and Aster moaned in unison as she got up. This time of year they huddled up against her in an attempt to ward off the cold.

"Is that you Derek?" She yawned, leaning on the crude doorframe.

"Indeed it is. I have been sent by Lord Lucien himself, you see." Derek extricated himself from the excited dog. "His lordship has sent for you personally, it's a great honour!"

"All of us?"

"Of course. I'm to bring you all at once."

"Sure, just give us a minute." She ducked back inside, shaking her siblings awake.

"..wwrrsuup?" Lily grumbled.

"C'mon little sparrows, we're going to the castle, come on!"

"We are?" Lily asked, suddenly awake. "Y'mean your wish worked?" She whispered.

Somewhere in Rose's mind, alarm bells were ringing. It wasn't what she'd wished, she wasn't entirely sure what she had wished for in the end, but…she shut the thought away, it didn't matter. They were going to Castle Fairfax!

Aster was grumpily pulled to his feet by Lily and the two followed Rose outside.

"We're ready." She grinned, unable to hide her excitement.

The dog started barking again.

"Something's wrong." Aster frowned.

"Don't be silly." Rose stroked the dog's head. "Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

"Later, little guy." Lily waved as they followed Derek away.

The dog whined sadly as they vanished into the night.

…

On arrival at the castle, Derek was politely dismissed. He bid the trio goodnight and left. They were then escorted through the halls by a man named Jeeves. While Rose and Lily made idle chatter with the butler, Aster found himself feeling more and more ill at ease. Something felt wrong, he was sure his sisters felt it too.

They passed a strange looking man on the way, clad in the strangest clothes Aster had ever seen. He was wearing a strange eyepiece and carrying a bundle of scrolls. The man glanced at him as they passed in the hall. Aster matched his stare, certain something was…different about him.

They soon came to a stop at a pair of large wooden doors.

"Lord Lucien waits within, in his study, this is where I leave you. Be respectful, speak when spoken to. Good night, children." He held open the door as they entered. "The children are here, my lord."

"Ah, thank you Jeeves, you may go." Across the room, a man was leaning over a desk. Jeeves bowed a little, shutting the door behind him.

The study was a room, furnished with high bookcases lining one half of the room. A large stained-glass window was at the far end of the spherical room, moonlight shone through it illuminating an ornate carved platform with some sort of insignia. For some reason, something about it seemed…familiar to him.

Lucien turned from his desk to address the trio.

"Children. It's come to my attention you have some sort of magic box, may I see it?"

"It…um…it vanished m'lord. We…well…I made a wish and it…sort of disappeared."

"After you used it?"

"Yes m'lord. The…" She paused. She had been about to mention the old woman, but she felt something was telling her not to. "…the man who sold it to us said it was magic."

"The box is of no interest to me." Lucien waved a hand, dismissively. "What's remarkable is that you were able to use it."

"We didn't exactly use i-" Lily began, cut off as Aster kicked her shin.

Lucien regarded them suspiciously.

"What was your wish?" He turned back to Rose. His expression made Aster uncomfortable. Everything about the man made him uncomfortable, everything about this whole situation was making him uncomfortable.

Rose scuffed her foot, embarrassed. She wasn't sure what to say. This man was the lord of all Bowerstone, how could she say she wasn't even sure what she'd wished for before the box had vanished.

"Well, speak up, what did you wish for?" He asked, kindly.

"To…live in a castle, like this one." Rose managed. It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Perhaps that could be arranged." Lucien chuckled, pacing around the room. He smiled a little as Lily and Rose' eyes brightened at his words. Aster wished he could share his sisters' enthusiasm. "I'm working to rebuild…well…I'm working on something wonderful, for which I need individuals with…particular talents."

"What's that?" Lily piped up.

Lucien smiled kindly.

"Let us see if you possess them." He gestured to the large floor carving beneath the stained-glass window. "Would you kindly stand in the circle, please?"

"…erm…" Rose stammered. She'd been feeling uneasily for a while now. She hadn't noticed it at first, distracted by their surroundings, but it had become more noticeable since they'd entered the room. She felt Lily grab her hand.

"I promise, it won't hurt you." Lucien spoke warmly.

The two girls stepped onto the platform. Lily let out a yelp as it lit up beneath them, glowing a bright blue. Aster hesitated.

"Step onto the circle, please." Lucien said, a little more impatiently.

Aster frowned at the man, stepping onto the platform reluctantly.

Immediately a strange wall of glowing light circled the three. They instinctively huddled together, nervously.

"It's true, your blood…you _are _heroes." Lucien breathed.

"Heroes?" Rose blurted. "You mean like in the old stories?"

Lucien ignored her, reaching out to touch the wall of light. There was a flash as he recoiled with a gasp. The light suddenly took on a dark shade of red. Lily let out a quiet whimper, clutching Rose' side.

"What are you?" He hissed, hurrying back to his desk.

"M'lord…w-what happened? What's that light?" Rose asked.

"Wait, there's something…something here somewhere…" Lucien was miles away, buried in his notes.

The three siblings looked to each other nervously. None of them wanted to be here anymore. Aster found himself wishing he'd thought to bring his wooden sword, if only for the peace of mind.

"M'lord?" Rose tried again. She pulled Aster closer to her.

"Quiet!" Lucien snapped. "You're heroes...but you're not any of the three…but, there's three of you. My notes, my studies…I don't understand, there should only be _four._"

Lucien grabbed a pistol from the desk, levelling it at them. Rose put herself between Lucien and her siblings.

"Stay behind me, little sparrows." She whimpered, voice breaking.

…

Rose stumbled backward as the bullet slammed into her chest, somehow managing to stay on her feet.

"Resilient." Lucien stated, impassionately, as he reloaded the gun.

"Rose!" Lily screamed.

Aster was furious. He was livid. The cold-blooded bastard-

Lucien cocked the pistol again, levelling at Rose.

Without a second thought, he pulled one of his ratty shoes off and hurled it at Lucien. It collided with his arm, sending the shot wild, shattering the window behind them. Lucien cursed, hurrying to reload again.

"Aster!" Lily yelled, as Rose finally collapsed onto her. He rushed to her side, pulling one of Rose' arms around his shoulder as Lily had done.

The wind was blowing a gale through the smashed window, it was their only way out. Aster and Lily carried Rose to the edge, peering over.

"Just…leave me…" Rose whispered.

"Don't be an idiot." Aster stated, firmly.

"What're we gonna do?" Lily asked, frantically.

He felt Rose slip forward a little as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Jump." He fixed Lily with a hard stare.

"We'll die!" She gaped.

"He'll kill us anyway!" He retorted.

"I'm rather afraid I will. Starting with finishing off your sister, there." Lucien aimed the gun at Rose again.

Aster had no idea if Rose was okay, he had no idea what would happen if they jumped, he did know what would happen if they stayed. Without a second thought, he hauled Rose over his shoulder as best he could and grabbed Lily's hand, preparing to jump.

The gun exploded behind him, he screamed as the bullet tore through his side, throwing him off-balance. Lily screamed as he lurched forward over the side, with her in tow. As the three tumbled forward into the dark, he heard Lucien's laughter ring out into the night.

…

Theresa slowly wandered down the darkened streets. Behind her, two gypsies towed a small handcart. They glanced around them, furtively, but the blind woman seemed to know exactly where she was going.

As they turned a corner, they heard a low canine whimpering. The two gypsies gasped as they saw the three children sprawled on the ground, unmoving. The dog stood over them. It leaned low, with a growl at the newcomers. Theresa approached unperturbed, kneeling down in front of the dog. It calmed at her touch.

"Three? Fate still plays tricks, it seems." She muttered, looking over the children. She signalled the two gypsies to gently lift the wounded kids onto the cart. The little girl let out a moan as she was lifted up. "Death is not your destiny, little sparrow." Theresa whispered, turning back the way they'd come.


	2. Time With The Travellers

A/N: This chapter is pretty much all new material, next chapter we'll be back with where the game picks up.

Aster's eyes snapped open. There was Lucien, the window, the gun, _Rose_!

"Rose!" He cried, shooting upright. He was immediately assailed by a wave of pain as every inch of his body screamed out in objection of the movement. He remained still, waiting for the agony to subside before daring to move again.

He clutched his side, feeling the mass of bandages wrapped around his middle. Where the hell was he?

It was a small room, sparsely furnished. There was the bed he was in and a closet, as well as a small table. There was a lot of decoration though. Coloured patterns in the woodwork, streamers and chimes and other odd looking baubles were strewn about. It reminded him of the caravan the travellers had invited them to stay in when they'd visited Bowerstone.

There was a gentle rapping on the door.

"Yeah?" He croaked, clutching his throat, appalled at how hoarse he sounded.

The door opened and a young woman entered, carrying a jug of water. She was wearing a brightly coloured assortment of scarfs, rags and clothing. Bangles and bracelets and adorned her wrists. Her auburn hair was pulled back and braided with feathers and beads woven into it.

"You're awake at last." She seemed relieved, smiling warmly.

"What…how long?" He grunted.

"You've been out of it for the past three days, your sister has been so worried about the two of you."

He looked at her quizzically.

The woman brought the jug over, pouring a little into a wooden cup, then setting it aside.

"Drink this." She offered the cup to him.

"But…my sisters, what…?"

"Drink." The woman insisted. He took the cup and drank a little. Satisfied, the woman nodded.

"Who are you?" Aster asked, once his throat felt better.

"My name is Annabella. I've been caring for you and your sisters since you were brought here in the middle of the night, three days past."

"Brought here? But…" His mind flashed painfully with the images of Lucien's study, the dark night, the long fall…

"Two of our people were guided by the blind seeress, Theresa. She often comes to us with her visions."

"Wait, my sisters…Lily…_Rose_, is she-…are they alright?"

Annabella smiled softly, taking one of his hands in hers, patting it gently.

"Lily has been up since yesterday. She's strong for one so young." She chuckled. "She's been pushing to be let out of her bed all day."

He breathed a sigh of relief, that sounded like Lily.

"Rose?" He ventured. The image of his sister being shot filled his vision again.

"She hasn't woken up yet, but she will recover. She is strong too, you all are. Theresa told us of what you went through, what you survived. You are all very fortunate to be here."

Something tugged at Aster's memory. Something about this Theresa.

"Think we've met. Talked my sister into buying that…damn box."

"Oh?" Annabella queried, genuinely puzzled. "Well, if you haven't, you will soon. She remains with us until you all awake. She insists you must talk."

"I want to talk to her too." He frowned, looking down. Something about the boy's grim expression spooked Annabella. Theresa was as resolutely silent as always on the circumstances behind her actions, including what led her to bring these children to their encampment. "Where are we?" Aster glanced back up at her.

"Heading east, to the mountains."

"No!" Aster blurted, before he could stop himself.

"What?"

They didn't know about Lucien, or what he'd done. They didn't know what had happened to them, or where they'd come from. He bit his tongue.

"It…doesn't matter. Can I see my sisters?"

Annabella shook her head. He couldn't help but flinch noticeably at her touch as she checked the bandages on his side. She winced.

"You don't have to tell me what happened, but I promise, I won't hurt you."

Aster wrestled with the concept. Adults had done little to prove they were too concerned about he or his siblings in the past. She must have noticed because she laid a hand on his, softly.

"We'll see about getting you out of this bed when we stop again tomorrow."

He nodded stiffly, unsure how to react to her touch.

"For now, rest. I'll be back to check on you later."

He let her help him lay back again, before she left, shutting the door quietly behind her. Aster wasn't sure about a lot of things, but for the first time in a long time, he found himself falling asleep without worrying about what the next morning would bring.

…

Lily had been ecstatic to hear Aster had woken yesterday, though she hadn't been allowed to see him. And Rose still hadn't woken yet, which still worried her, though she'd been told she was getting better. She chucked the stick again, absent-mindedly, smiling a little as the dog ran to catch it.

Lily had been happy to find it had stayed with them, so she'd finally taken it upon herself to name him.

"Finn!" She let out a high-pitched whistle. He barked happily, running back.

So it wasn't that creative a name, Lily thought it just seemed right. Finn nuzzled her open hand as she looked around the encampment. They'd stopped in a clearing in a wooded area, the other caravans were scattered about in a vaguely circular pattern. Around the camp the travellers were doing assorted jobs, chopping wood, fetching water and the like.

Images still came to her of that night, of Lucien's calm expression as he shot her sister, of the icy darkened castle study as the icy wind blasted through the shattered window, Aster's voice when he told them to jump, the moment the bullet ripped through his side, that slow tumble into the black maelstrom outside and the long fall…

The door to Aster's caravans opened across the clearing. Lily waved as Annabella came out, who smiled in return as she stepped aside to let her brother out. He limped slowly down the steps.

"Aster!" She cried, running over to him. She flung her arms around him in a tight hug, wincing as he let out a series of pained grunts.

"Sorry." She smiled weakly, pulling back.

"S'alright." He managed to wrap an arm around her weakly.

"How're you feeling?"

"Awful." He chuckled, hoarsely, pulling back a little to look her in the eyes. "Have you seen…?"

She shook her head sadly.

"They said she's okay."

Annabella cleared her throat quietly, causing the two to look at her.

"If you two will promise me not to disturb your sister, I'll take you to see her." She made a show looking hard-pressed, which elicited a laugh from Lily.

Annabella offered Lily her hand, which she took. She offered Aster her other, though he was reluctant to take it. Annabella didn't make a fuss, instead placing the hand on his shoulder and guiding the two to the caravan Rose had been set up in.

Aster felt increasingly tense as the woman opened the door, ushering the he and his sister inside. It was dark inside, their eyes struggled to adjust.

"Sorry about the light, I've been keeping it shaded in here to help her sleep."

As he got used to the gloom, his eyes fell on the sleeping form of Rose. He felt his stomach twist into knots and a spike of guilt jab at his heart as they drew closer.

"Rosie…" Lily whispered.

Their sister was covered in bandages. They covered her arms, her body, half her face was swathed in them. And she looked so weak, frail…fragile. She'd always been the strongest figure in the twins' lives and yet, there she was, looking like she was on the verge of shattering into a million pieces. His breath caught in his throat for a fleeting moment when he was so, so sure she wasn't breathing, until a she exhaled softly.

Aster realised he must have been visibly shaking because Annabella gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze, rubbing it softly.

"Don't worry, she'll heal, she-"

They all felt the nearly imperceptible shift in the tempo of her breathing. Rose's right hand twitched, as if reaching for something. Annabella was knelt by the bed in an instant, dampening a cloth and holding it against Rose's forehead.

Aster felt Lily clutch at his hand, he didn't resist.

Rose let out a half-groan, half-sigh. Her good eye fluttered open. Her body tensed and she tried to sit up quickly.

"Shh, shhhhh." Annabella soothed. "Easy. You're safe." She held her down as gently as she could.

The injured girl glanced around frantically nonetheless, stopping only when she saw her younger siblings looking back at her, eyes full of concern. Rose settled back, hesitantly. Annabella checked her wounds slowly, trying not to startle her again.

"I'm just going to get more water, I'll be back shortly." Annabella turned to the twins. "Try not to get her too excited." She left the caravan.

The twins crossed to the bed, Lily knelt beside it, resting on the side.

"How're you feeling?" She asked softly.

Beneath the covers and the bandages Rose managed something that might have been a shrug.

"We're so sorry." Lily whimpered, voice breaking. "I was so scared, I thought you-" She felt Rose clumsily fumbling for her hand.

"..'m okay." She hissed in pain. "Glad y-…nrghh…two are alright."

They lapsed into silence, the caravan quiet apart from the sounds of Lily's sobbing.

"…Lily…" Rose squeezed her hand softly.

"Why'd all this happen? It shouldn't have happened, and now you're hurt and…" She fell quiet, looking up at her brother as Aster placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I won't let this happen to either of you again." He felt Rose' gaze on him, the curious feeling from the other day resurfaced. He stared hard back. "I won't let anybody hurt you again. I promise."

They felt closer than they had done for a long time. Lily smiled a little, looking from Aster to Rose.

The spell was broken when Annabella returned with water, quickly ushering Lily and Aster out so she could see to their sister. Rose watched Aster guide Lily out with a strange feeling. Was it just her, or did her brother seem to walk a little taller?

…

A week passed before Rose was able to walk again. Even then, she couldn't get around without crutches. Theresa had waited patiently while the gypsies remained encamped, for the children to heal. Now, the three were sat across from her, huddled together. A fire simmered low between them.

Rose eyed the old woman suspiciously. It was her who'd goaded them into buying the music box, her who'd caused all this, as far as she was concerned.

"I am not your enemy, heroes." The blind seeress stated, as if reading her mind.

"Heroes?" Lily asked. "Lucien said we were heroes."

"And so you are, or shall be, one day." Theresa continued.

"What about Lucien?" Aster cut in.

Theresa turned to look…well…toward him. It was unsettling how the blind woman could almost seem to…see.

"He has plans, and ambitions, and dreams like any other. Though his are more dangerous than most. Albion faces dark times should he be allowed to pursue his dreams unhindered."

"Can't somebody stop him?" Rose asked.

"Somebody shall, in time. Until that day, you three must train, you must learn, you must grow."

"Why?" Rose struggled to her feet. "He nearly killed us all, I won't put my brother and sister in harm's way again just to-"

"Then all of Albion is doomed." Theresa said with disturbing calm.

The group fell silent.

"I want revenge." Aster spoke up.

"Aster!" Rose blurted.

He shot her a look, now on his feet too.

"He needs to pay for what he's done."

"Oh and you're going to make him? We've got our lives, barely! We've got a chance to start again, away from all that…that place!"

"Rose," The two turned at the sound of Lily's voice. "It doesn't matter what we want. I don't want to go after Lucien, I don't want revenge, but we can't just…hide…knowing what we know. You heard Theresa, and Lucien, we're heroes, we have a responsibility."

Both stared dumbly at her. Theresa chuckled.

"Well said, little one."

Aster and Rose sat back down, sullen.

"I will return, in ten years."

"Ten-?" Aster objected.

"Train, learn, grow." Theresa repeated, getting to her feet. "Ten years, heroes."

They watched the blind woman wander away into the dark in silence. Eventually, Rose and Aster stalked away, without saying a word to one another, leaving Lily sat alone. Finn padded up and sat by her feet. She sighed, stroking him behind the ears.

"…well then."

…

_Two years passed._

Rose watched as Lily and Aster struggled to set up a series of straw dummies in a field outside the camp. They'd done this every time the clan stopped for the past few months. A year back they'd…appropriated some rudimentary weaponry. She saw Aster give the chipped, rusty sword a few test swings. Despite the fact he was getting quite good with it, or perhaps because of it, it still made her twitchy, seeing the twelve-year olds using the weapons.

Lily was fiddling with the catch on the old crossbow she'd charmed out of one of the hunters. Rose might have only been on the cusp of maturity, but even she could see Lily was going to break hearts one day. She was wearing a pair of short breeches and a sleeveless top, made from some kind of animal hide. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She was lively, chatty, chirpy and she knew how to get what she wanted. Lily seemed to be on a first-name basis with the entire encampment. Almost the polar opposite of her twin brother, she thought a little sourly.

Aster had only become more sullen. He trained and practiced with a vigour and drive that set him apart from the rest of the clan. He didn't belong here and he made it more obvious every shrugged off the beaten duster he wore, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He didn't really have any friends among the other children, though there were a few he seemed to hang around with from time to time.

Rose had found it easy to let herself fit in. Having a home, even one that moved every two days or so, was more than she could have hoped for a few years ago. A day didn't go by that she didn't think back to Theresa's ominous words, but for now it was enough to just have an…almost normal life. Annabella was nice to them all, she'd made a group of friends among some of the other girls of the clan, they'd taught her things about the traveller culture.

They'd even been teaching her to dress, look and act like one. She ran a hand idly through her hair, fiddling with the assorted feathers and strings of beads she'd braided into it. She'd grown it much longer, similar to the other girls. She scuffed her feet, idly, fiddling with the long skirt she was wearing. The cloth short-sleeved top she wore clung to her uncomfortably, it was a hot day. She wondered if…

"Hello, Rose."

She jumped.

A boy her age, with a messy crop of sandy hair was eyeing her with a grin. He leaned back against the tree beside her, crossing his arms.

"Israel!" She elbowed him in the side, mock-annoyed.

"Sorry." He raised his hands in a show of peace, face still fixed in a sly grin.

"So…what did you want?" She asked, feeling the blush prickling on her cheeks. He always had this effect on her, she was interested in him and she was pretty sure he was interested in her. But it was uncharted territory as far as she was concerned and he was a few years older than her, it always kept her off-balance.

"Well," He looked around, casually. "It's such a lovely day and I was wondering if you'd like to…go for a swim?"

She fought the urge to choke on her own words as any response she had prepared died in her throat.

"…um…?" She managed, suddenly finding great interest in a patch of dirt beneath her foot.

"No need to be shy, you have held my interest for a while now, more so than the other girls in the clan."

Rose couldn't think of anything to say, inside she was confused, excited, thrilled and terrified all at once. He stepped closer to her, tipping her chin gently upward to meet his gaze. A voice was screaming in her head saying this was a bad idea, saying something about this felt wrong, didn't feel right, demanding to be heard, but all she felt was a muffled buzzing. He leaned in closer, she felt powerless to stop him, mostly out of some indefinable need to see where this would go.

There was a sharp hiss followed by a jarring _thunk_ as a crossbow bolt buried itself in the tree behind them. The two jumped back away from each other, startled, looking for the source of the shot.

"_Lily!_" Rose yelled sharply, turning to her siblings.

Lily only waved innocently, pointing to Aster. She fixed him with a glare but he shrugged apologetically, holding the crossbow as if he'd never held one before. She watched Lily scold him for his incompetence with the ranged weapon.

"Stupid little buggers." Israel muttered, not quietly enough.

Rose spun back to him, eyes wide with fury.

"Hey!" She yelled, pulling herself up to full height, jabbing him in the shoulder. "Don't talk about my family like that!"

"He nearly shot me!" Israel hissed.

"It was an accident!"

He pressed his lips into a firm line, then turned on his heel and stalked away. She stamped her foot, letting out a frustrated groan, trying to ignore the part of her that felt she'd dodged a bullet. Rose crossed her arms, casting an eye over her siblings again. Nobody would talk about her family like that while she was around, it was an accident. They were only children.

She didn't react as she watched Aster pull a new bolt back, lock the catch, aim and hit the straw target with ease.

...

_Three years passed._

Rose was sat on a rickety old fence looking over an empty field of grass, swaying in the cool dawn breeze. She had turned eighteen the night before. To the clan, reaching maturity was worthy of traditional celebration and as they had been raised by the clan as a whole, the whole clan had taken part in celebrating her coming-of-age with a shindig which had wound down only as the sun had started to rise.

Sometimes, she still couldn't believe they were still alive. Or happy. And she was happy. Mostly. They were all still together, and safe. The last five years had been some of the best times of her life. She and her siblings had just been able to…live. The clan had done their best to raise them all, though Annabella took a more active interest in their well-being than most. She'd come to love the older woman for it.

Life with the travellers wasn't all easy though. It was a hard life. They were always on the move. As she'd gotten older, she had come to realise that maybe Theresa had been trying to protect them, in her own way. With the gypsies always moving, if Lucien ever did try to find them it would have been that much harder, she liked to think. Though she still had the nightmares anyway, dark, shadowy visions of that night in the tower. The sheer amount of nights she'd woken up, covers drenched in sweat, unable to scream or move or…clutching her chest where she'd been…

Rose nursed the bruising swelling around her eye. Last night had been…eventful. She loved their surrogate family, but sometimes it was hard, sometimes it was very obvious they were still _outsiders_. And sometimes, like last night, it was very obvious there were things…she still wasn't ready for.

She felt the fence creak and shake as somebody hoisted themselves onto it beside her.

"Mornin'" She exhaled, not looking at Aster.

"…hey." He replied, after a lengthy pause. "So…um…about…"

"It doesn't-"

"I shouldn't-"

Both fell quiet. They turned to look at one another, awkwardly.

Not for the first time, she was struck by the man her brother was showing signs of becoming. His features were becoming more defined, losing their childlike qualities. His hair was much longer, swept back behind his ears and in the last year or so he'd grown to be as tall as her. Fifteen years old and he was outgrowing her already. If his face wasn't currently scratched and bruised she'd have thought of him as handsome.

Five years of training and work had given him a strong body, lean and athletic. He'd become adept with a sword, the best in the clan by far. And Lily, Lily could hit a moving target at sixty paces with a crossbow one of the carpenters had made for her a few years back, without taking a breath. Rose could stand her ground in a fight, but her siblings were miles ahead of her in skill these days.

"You alright?"

"…uh…oh." She stuttered, snapping from her thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, fine."

"…is Israel okay?" He winced at her sharp intake of breath, and at her attempt to force something that should have been a smile.

Rose rubbed the bruises on her arms, trying to pass it off as warding off the morning chill.

"I don't think I'll be seeing him again." She stated, oddly calm.

Aster nodded, neutrally as possible. Inwardly he was glad, he'd never liked Israel, never trusted him alone with his sister. For the past three years the two had been dancing around each other. The courting process was a lengthy and unwieldy series of traditions and rituals in the clan, but Israel was always impatient and last night…

"Oh. Okay."

"No need to sound so pleased, brother." She chuckled, it was a dry, hollow sound.

He wrapped an arm around her and she scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm…um…sorry." He mumbled.

"No." He felt her shake her head. "You were right."

"That doesn't make me happy."

"I always knew what he wanted, I just-"

"You don't have to-" He began

"But I thought I wanted…" She continued, ignoring him. "I wanted it to be real, but I didn't want that. I didn't even really want him, he was just…there."

"I wasn't there, I should have-…I wanted to kill him for what he tried to-"

"You were there, when it counted." She fumbled for one of his hands. "And he wasn't worth that, I'm glad you didn't."

He looked down at her, brushing loose folds of hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear.

"I just want you to be happy."

"I'm happy right now." She exhaled, shutting her eyes, nestling her head into his shoulder a little more.

"Everybody okay?" Lily appeared behind them, causing Aster to let out a strangled cry of surprise as he tumbled off the fence. Rose laughed as he struggled to his feet, cursing his sister, and the two engaged in another squabble.

It was almost enough to make her forget…she rubbed the bruises on her arms again…forget what nearly happened. There was something else she wanted to forget too. While her siblings quarrelled, she looked at her hands. They looked clean, looked normal, didn't feel strange anymore, but last night…

Israel had come at her, laid hands on her, tried to…she blinked the images away, and she'd…burnt him somehow. He'd jumped back in alarm at the sudden pain, not seeing the brief spark of flame she had in her hands. It had frightened her just as much as he…but it had distracted him and then Aster had shown up and…

She smiled a little, knowing that whatever else the world would throw at them, they would always be there for each other.

...

_One week later._

Lily waited patiently by the riverbank. She was waiting for Israel, he was fishing somewhere farther down. Rose might have been willing to forget, move on, and while Aster may have wanted to kill the bastard who tried to force himself on their sister, he wouldn't do anything that'd upset Rose. Lily liked to think she was more flexible though. She idly pulled back the string on the crossbow, slipping in a bolt as she heard someone whistling casually approaching. She took a seat on an old tree stump as Israel appeared, lugging a rod and a bunch of fish over his shoulder. The whistling stopped abruptly and his eyes widened as he saw her sitting there, crossbow in her arms.

"What-?"

"Don't talk. Listen."

He managed a nod, fear evident on his face.

"What you tried to do to my sister, that doesn't happen."

"I'm so-"

"If you try to apologise for it, I will end your life right now, with some small regret." She aimed the crossbow at him, to drive home her point. She took a deep breath, before continuing. "Rose may be fine with letting you off without consequence for what you pulled, and for the time being my brother won't kill you because he loves and respects his sister too much to go behind her back and try something. One day though, that might not be enough, he'll probably come after you."

Israel managed a small whimper.

"I, on the other hand," Lily continued, burying her disgust at the man before her. ", can offer an alternative. You will leave. Now. Forever."

"Leave, you can't expect-"

"Yes, I can. I don't want your blood on my brother's hands, you're not worth it, I don't want your death on my sisters mind, you're not worth it. I can't really be bothered to kill you myself, so, you will leave. Frankly, I don't like the idea of you being within thirty paces of Rose anymore. In fact," She ran a finger over the trigger. ", I'm getting pretty twitchy now, maybe you want to get the hell out of my sight?"

There was a moment's indecision in Israel's eyes, before acceptance dawned on him and he hurried back in the opposite direction, away from the encampment. Lily wished she felt some sort of…guilt about what she'd just done, some sort of regret, but she didn't. She got to her feet, slowly, watching the receding figure pick their way down the bank and out of sight.

Slinging the crossbow over her shoulder, she headed back home.

...

_Two years later._

Aster woke with a start as the rod tugged sharply. In the scramble to get to his feet and grab the rod tighter his foot slipped in a muddy patch. He let out a strangled cry as he slid downward, crashing into the stream.

As he struggled to his feet, spitting water and tugging reeds out of every sleeve, pocket and crevice imaginable, he scowled at his sisters, who had erupted into laughter from the bank. He grinned back sarcastically, trudging over to them. The two were laid back on the warm grass, enjoying the sun. Most of their clothes lay discarded, but for the sleeveless tops and shorts they wore for modesty's sake.

Twenty years old now, his sister had somehow become beautiful. He couldn't remember when he'd started thinking about girls in those terms, but she was. Her hair stretched loose past her shoulders, bereft of decoration today. It framed her face, strands hanging freely over her eyes. Her body was tanned, athletic, fit. She may not have been as proficient with weaponry as he or Lily, but she was no slouch.

Lily wore her hair cut short, citing that long hair interfered with her aim. She could be mistaken as wiry, but Aster could only think of her as a coil wound tightly, ready to spring at any moment. She'd retained some of the child-like innocence in her features she'd had as a child.

"All these years, brother, I had no idea you were so graceful." Rose smiled, sitting up.

"Was just tryin' to give the fish-" He stopped, a funny look on his face. Rapidly, he thrust an arm into his shirt, fumbling for a moment before yanking out a still flapping fish. "….er…" Aster mumbled.

Lily threw her head back in another round of laughter, while Rose made an effort to stifle her own. Aster threw the offending fish at his twin, which only caused her to squeal with more laughter as the clammy thing came into contact with her skin.

Aster stopped in front of them, putting one foot on the bank, watching Lily roll aside and scurry to her feet. He smirked at Rose.

She regarded her sodden brother. His boots squelched, his breeches clung to his legs, soaked, his loose brown shirt hung heavy, dripping and his own long hair had come loose from the ponytail he normally wore it in. His skin glistened, wet in the sun, it highlighted every muscle, not unattractively. The last few years had seen him become a man, he was certainly popular among the girls, she thought wryly. She wondered briefly where that bitter thought had come from.

"I'm glad I could be a source of such amusement to you both. Perhaps you'll show me a better way of fishing?"

"Fishing has never really been my thing, little sparrow." She teased, Rose hadn't called him that in a long time.

"Perhaps I can show you how." He took another step toward them.

"I'm just going to…um…" Lily backed away, suddenly not liking the mischievous expression on her brothers face. "Rose, maybe-" She tried to warn her sister too late.

Aster reached out, grabbing their older sisters feet, tugging her toward him. Before she could react, he had his arms around her thighs and she found herself slung over his shoulder, eliciting a series of squeals and curses from Rose.

"Aster!" She yelled, unable to supress her laughter.

"The first thing you have to do, right…" He began, slowly making his way to the center of the stream.

"Don't you dare!" She warned, thumping his back, trying to ignore the peculiar things she was feeling at being handled this way, at her brother's touch on her thighs, so close to her…rear.

Lily watched from the bank as in a fluid movement, Aster slipped Rose from his shoulder into his arms, bridal-style.

"Dare what?" He asked innocently, looking down at her. The feeling of his strong arms around her made her feel odd. Her breath caught in her throat, was she…_blushing?_

"Put me down." She demanded, trying and failing to sound angry.

He merely nodded, shrugging.

"If you insist, dear sister." Too late, she realised what she'd said.

"No, wait, d-" She screamed as he dropped her into the cold water.

He chuckled, arms crossed, shaking his head with a grin as Rose sat up, pulling her drenched hair out of her eyes.

"Bastard." She muttered.

Before he knew what was happening, Rose had barrelled into him, dragging him down with her into the water again. She pinned him down beneath her, ignoring his spluttering cough as he spat another mouthful of gritty water. She let up a little as his face contorted in what might have been pain.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked, with genuine concern.

"No," He managed a grin. "It's your bloody hair, it's too bloody long and it's in my bloody eyes."

For some reason she found his remark hilarious. She loosened her grip again. Aster seized the opening, freeing his left arm. He grabbed her waist and threw her off him, onto her back. He rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

"Cheater." She giggled.

"All's fair in love and war, or so I'm told." He grinned.

"Love, huh?" She found herself saying, looking up into Aster's eyes. There was concern there, and care…but something else too…

Aster opened his mouth, but no sound came out. She was looking at him curiously. He felt odd. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but it was…different.

Lily cleared her throat from the bank. Aster hurriedly got to his feet, helping Rose to her feet.

"Time to get back, come on you two." Lily helped her siblings onto the bank and watched them head back toward the encampment in silence. She wasn't sure what she'd just seen, she wasn't sure that she'd seen anything…exactly. What surprised her most wasn't what she thought she might have been seeing, but that what she thought she might have been seeing hadn't really surprised much at all.

Theresa would be back in a year's time, and Lily had questions for the blind seer, though she was aware she might not like the answers.

...

_One year later._

Aster took another swig from the tankard in his hand. Music was playing loudly and most of the clan was dancing around the fires in the centre of the encampment. Lily and Aster had turned eighteen, this was cause for celebration. The travellers liked nothing more than an excuse to throw a wild party.

The clan had returned to western Albion, and set up camp in a small clearing surrounded by a natural earthen embankment of sorts. Bower Lake lay beyond, in the centre of the vast, bowl-shaped valley.

He'd been surprised to realise he dreaded the coming of this day. It meant the end had come to their time with the gypsies, Theresa would return soon. He couldn't believe ten years had come and gone. Lily spun past dragging some poor boy round with her. He smiled, wishing he could enjoy himself as much as his siblings. Speak of the devil…

He looked up as Rose stumbled to a halt in front of him. She was out of breath, grinning widely and, he noted, swaying.

"Having a good time?" He asked, sarcastically.

She nodded excitedly, then after a moment's thought, stuck her hand out to him. He looked up at her questioningly.

"Dance with me!" She slurred slightly.

"You're drunk." He stated, knowing full well he was drunk too.

"I am, I am…" She nodded again, "It's not every day your younger brother turns eighteen, or younger sister…or twins!"

He couldn't suppress a grin at Rose's inability to hold her drink.

"Well," He raised his drink, she tried to knock her tankard into his and missed, pouring its contents over Asters head. "…thanks." He spluttered.

Rose clapped her hands over her mouth, letting out a series of sharp snorts, then laughed at the sound she'd just made. He saw Lily across the camp, smiling sympathetically and trying not to laugh herself. He shook his head in mock despair as his older sister knelt before him, futilely trying to dry the gritty ale from his face.

"I'm sorry." She looked so guilty, it almost made him feel bad for what he was about to do.

"That's alright." He gently pulled her hand away. "Besides, would-oh…oops." He poured his drink over her head.

She inhaled sharply, recoiling as the cold and…disturbingly thick liquid ran through her hair. Rose slowly ran two hands through her now drench and matted locks.

"Nice." She muttered. "Little sparrow's all grown up." Her eyes narrowed in a fake glare.

"Just followin' your example, sis." Aster brushed some damp strands of hair out of her eyes, matching her gaze. "Why'd you want to dance with me anyway?" He asked, idly.

Rose shrugged.

"Don't know. Nobody else I wanted to." She replied as if it was obvious.

"But there're loads of guys here who definitely wouldn't think twice about a shot at dancing with you, Rose."

"Not interested. Haven't been since Israel…since he….and then he…left." She stuttered.

"Nobody, oh c'mon, you're…ahhh…" Aster trailed off, looking away.

"What?" Rose asked, tilting her head.

"It doesn't matter." Aster insisted, still staring resolutely in any direction but hers.

"What, what is it?" She poked him, grinning. He felt his will cave.

"It's just...um…you're…you know, pretty, sis. Well…beautiful." He cleared his throat. "No idea where you got the looks from, mind. Me and Lily didn't bloody inherit them." He laughed, trying to cover up the fact he'd never felt so embarrassed. He expected her to laugh, or slap him on the head, or pour another drink on him, or go silent or walk away or…

"Thank you." Rose replied softly, after a pause.

"Oh, no, it's just…uh…I just thought I'd say ahhh…was there anything else?" He asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"…yeah." Rose looked troubled. "And…Theresa comes back soon. Everything will change, I just wanted to…to…" She gestured vaguely.

Aster took her hands in his, understanding her worries. He climbed to his feet, only slightly dizzy, and helped Rose to hers.

"So let's dance then." Rose smiled, he smiled back. "Only…uh…I don't know how to…"

"Oh that's fine." Rose cut him off, suddenly energised. "Nor do I!" She dragged Aster after her into the throng of dancing gypsies, laughing at his reluctance.

Lily watched from the side, watching the two stumble, bump and trip over themselves, each other and everybody else. She felt happy knowing that, for the moment at least, her siblings were at peace too. She turned to grab another drink for herself, shoving one of the young men aside with a roaring laugh when a shot rang out.

Everybody in the camp turned at the sound, none of the gypsies had firearms. The wave of alarm spread through the assembled crowd quickly.

"Bandits!" Somebody cried out.

In the light of the fires, she could see the mass of shadows pour over the embankment, stark against the light of the full moon in the sky. More shots rang out. The crowd scattered. Many tried to arm themselves in the face of the sudden attack but it was too late. The bandits spread through the encampment, subduing their opponents without killing them where possible. The dancers had scattered in all directions as the bandits reached the centre of the camp. Everything became chaotic.

Lily ducked back to the caravan she shared with Rose, retrieving her crossbow and a number of bolts. She then smashed in the door to Asters, which was beside theirs and grabbed his sword. As she hurried out, she pulled a bolt back into the catch.

Immediately, she was accosted by an attacker. She fired from the hip, the bolt catching the bandit in the chest. As he fell backward, cursing, she reloaded, scanning the camp for her brother and sister.

"Lily!" She heard a male voice cut through the sound of screams and combat.

"Aster!" She called, trying to find him in the melee. She noticed the bandits seemed more concerned with taking captives than killing, which only slightly alleviated her worries. Her eyes fell on her brother, armed with a firebrand fighting back to back with Rose, who was holding wooden pole.

She pulled the crossbow back into her shoulder and took aim. Lily pulled the trigger, satisfied as the bolt found its mark in the shoulder of one of the bandits attacking Rose. There were not actually a great number of bandits, surprise had done most of the damage and now the travellers were turning the tide on their attackers. Many of the bandits were already retreating with their captives. Lily ran toward her siblings, fear rising in her as she saw a bandit come at Aster from the side.

"Brother!" She cried, trying to load the crossbow. Too late.

Her warning probably saved his life, she realised, as he turned to the new threat. Instead of killing him, the bandits sword sliced downward into his leg, rather than his head. Aster cried out as his leg buckled under him. Rose spun at her brother's cry. Lily could only watch as two bandits seized the opening, striking her on the back of the head from behind.

Lily fired, taking one of the bandits in the stomach. The second grabbed the stunned Rose from behind, slinging her over his shoulder and beating a hasty retreat with the rest of his companions. She reloaded, taking aim at the man carrying her sister, then noticed a second bandit moving to finish Aster, who was struggling to stand.

Her heart felt like it would explode. She bit her lip so hard she was sure it would draw blood. Rose's captor was getting away and Aster would be killed in front of her. Time seemed to slow before her. She had to choose.

She clenched shut her eyes and fired, trusting fully in her skill. The bolt buried itself in the heart of Asters very surprised would-be killer. He looked up as the bandit fell backward, dead before he hit the ground. Aster pulled himself to his feet, hissing at the sharp pain in his leg.

"Lily, what…?" He looked around, there were several bodies scattered around. Some wounded gypsies, a few dead bandits. The attack had ended as rapidly as it had begun. "Rose…?" He glanced around, furtively. "Rose?!"

"Aster, she's-" Lily was beside him, out of breath, he looked at where she was pointing, in time to see the last bandits disappear over the embankment, hauling their living cargo. "I'm sorry, I couldn't…"

"No." Aster took his sword from his twin. "No! We've got to save her, we've got to-" He fell to one knee as soon as he took a step forward.

"Aster, you need to stop." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop? They have Rose, if we wait-"

"Shut up!" He balked at her outburst. She glared at him, tears in her eyes. "What bloody good do you think you'll do if you kill yourself before we save her, who will that help?"

He looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. "I just…"

"She's my sister too."

"…I know."

"We'll go in the morning, okay?" She knelt in front of him, holding his gaze. "They're on foot, their camp must be close, they'd never risk taking their captives too far on foot, it wouldn't make sense."

"Your sister speaks wisely, sparrow."

The twins turned sharply at the dry voice. Theresa stood behind them, looking beyond them, at something they couldn't see.

"Theresa?"

"I had hoped to talk to all of you, but events seem to have conspired against us."

"We're not doing anything until we save Rose, and the others." Aster stated. Lily pulled one of his arms around her shoulder, helping him to his feet.

"Of course not, what I have to say must be heard by all three of you. I had not planned to return for a month or two yet, but things are happening. Time is short. For now, rest. We will speak in the morning." Theresa strolled away, seemingly untouched by the carnage all around her.

"I don't trust her." Lily spoke quietly.

"I don't either, but for now, we need her." He paused. "If Rose is hurt…"

"We'll find her."

Aster only nodded, staring out at the valley beyond.


End file.
